DEV Community: Terje Helgesen

A Repeatable Review Workflow for Technical Drawings

Terje Helgesen — Tue, 27 Oct 2026 23:42:28 +0000

A drawing review often starts with a file created by someone else: a PDF from a supplier, a DWG from an engineer, a DWF plot, or a scanned document. The job may not be to edit the original CAD model. It may be to confirm that the drawing is readable, check a few dimensions, record comments and send a clear copy to the next person.

That sounds simple, but the work can become fragmented. One program opens the drawing, another adds comments, and a third produces the print or PDF. A repeatable review process helps keep those steps together and makes it easier to see what was checked.

1. Start by identifying the file and the task

Before opening a drawing, establish what the recipient needs to do with it. Is the goal to inspect a revision, verify a dimension, add review notes, print a paper copy, or prepare a PDF for distribution?

The source format matters too. Technical teams may receive PDF, DWG, DXF, DWF, PLT, HPGL/2, CGM, TIFF, CALS, Gerber and other formats. A viewer that handles several of the formats used by your team can reduce the number of format-specific handoffs.

Check the capabilities of the edition you use. ViewCompanion is available in Standard, Pro and Premium, and supported formats vary by edition. The ViewCompanion format support page lists format availability by edition.

2. Inspect at a useful scale

Start with the whole sheet to check its title block, revision, sheet number and general layout. Then zoom into the areas that need attention. Look for missing content, clipped notes, hard-to-read line work, unexpected page orientation and differences between sheets in a multi-page document.

If you need to measure, first confirm the drawing scale or calibrate against a known dimension. This is especially important when a file has been exported, scanned, or created with uncertain drawing units. A measurement tool can report precisely, but the result is only meaningful when the scale information is correct. Verify it against a dimension you already trust before using measurements for a decision.

3. Record review comments separately from the source

Review notes should make the requested action clear: identify the location, describe the issue, and state what needs checking. Use annotations such as text, symbols, stamps, lines or dimensions where they help point to a specific area.

Keeping markups in a review copy makes it easier to preserve the source drawing and share comments with colleagues. It also gives the next reviewer a visible record of what was checked. When preparing the copy, use a clear file name or revision label so it is not mistaken for the unmarked source.

4. Compare revisions when the question is “what changed?”

When two revisions are available, reviewing them side by side or using a drawing comparison tool can help focus attention on changed areas. Check the title block and revision identifiers as well: a visual difference alone does not tell you whether the correct files were selected or whether the change has been approved.

Comparison is a review aid, not a substitute for engineering sign-off. Confirm important changes against the revision notes and the project’s normal approval process.

5. Prepare a consistent file for distribution

Once review is complete, consider how the next person will use the result. A PDF is often convenient for sharing and printing. Check page size, orientation, line weights and legibility before sending it. If the review includes several source files, combining them into a single multipage document can make the handoff easier to follow.

For recurring work, batch printing or conversion can help apply the same output process to multiple files. Keep a copy of the source files and review notes according to your document-control practices.

6. Make the process repeatable

A short checklist can improve consistency across reviewers:

Confirm the file name, revision and sheet count.
Check the whole page, then inspect the areas relevant to the task.
Verify scale before relying on measurements.
Add comments that identify both the location and the requested action.
Compare revisions when the review is about changes.
Check the final PDF or printed pages before distribution.
Preserve the source and label the reviewed copy clearly.

Using ViewCompanion for this workflow

ViewCompanion is a Windows application for viewing, printing, annotating, measuring and converting technical documents. The Standard, Pro and Premium editions support different sets of formats and tools. Premium adds DWG support and advanced PDF capabilities; you can review its features and supported workflows before choosing an edition.

The best way to check whether an application fits a team’s review process is to try it with representative files, including the files that are hardest to open, measure or print. Confirm that the output matches your requirements before using it in a production workflow.

Keeping DWG and PDF Workflows Local on Windows

Terje Helgesen — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 21:14:18 +0000

Cloud-based viewers have made it easy to open a file from almost anywhere. For many everyday documents, that convenience is useful. Technical drawings, however, often require a different calculation.

A DWG or PDF may contain an unreleased design, customer information, manufacturing dimensions, building details, or an internal revision that should remain inside a controlled environment. In those cases, the first question is not simply, “Can this service open the file?” It is also, “Do we want to upload the file at all?”

This article looks at a straightforward alternative: keeping the DWG and PDF review workflow on a Windows computer.

Why local processing still matters

An online viewer normally requires the document to leave the local workstation or company network. That may be acceptable for public or low-risk material, but it can complicate workflows involving:

confidential engineering drawings;
customer-supplied documents;
intellectual property;
controlled manufacturing information;
restricted networks or offline workstations;
company policies that limit third-party file uploads.

A locally installed application avoids the upload step. The source document can remain on the computer or an accessible network location while it is viewed, measured, annotated, printed, or converted.

Local processing does not remove the need for normal security controls. File permissions, backups, endpoint protection, and careful handling of untrusted files still matter. It does, however, remove an unnecessary transfer to a hosted viewing or conversion service.

DWG and PDF are different parts of the same workflow

DWG and PDF files often appear together, but they serve different purposes.

DWG is commonly used as an editable CAD drawing format. It may contain model space, paper-space layouts, layers, fonts, external references, dimensions, and drawing units.

PDF is often the format used for distribution, review, approval, archiving, and printing. It is easier to share, but the recipient may still need to inspect dimensions, add comments, compare revisions, or convert the document for another system.

A practical review tool should therefore do more than display two file extensions. It should support the work that happens between receiving a drawing and publishing the result.

A typical offline review workflow

Consider a supplier who sends a revised DWG drawing and a corresponding PDF. A local workflow could look like this:

Open the DWG directly from the project folder.
Check the available layouts and drawing units.
Inspect layers, dimensions, and visible geometry.
Measure distances, polylines, or areas where verification is required.
Add annotations or review comments.
Compare the new document with an earlier revision.
Print it or convert it to the required PDF or raster format.
Save the result back to the controlled project location.

None of these steps inherently requires a cloud service. Keeping the complete sequence local can also make the workflow easier to explain to customers or IT administrators: files are opened locally, processed locally, and saved locally.

Where ViewCompanion Premium fits

ViewCompanion Premium is a Windows desktop application for viewing, printing, annotating, measuring, comparing, and converting technical documents.

Its DWG support is intended for review and publishing tasks. Users can open DWG drawings, navigate layouts, take measurements, add markups, print drawings, and convert them to formats such as PDF. It is not intended to replace a full CAD authoring system for editing drawing geometry.

For PDF workflows, ViewCompanion Premium includes tools for viewing and markup as well as operations such as comparison, OCR, watermarking, splitting, merging, optimization, conversion, and PDF/A creation.

The application also supports formats frequently found alongside DWG and PDF in technical archives, including DXF, DWF/DWFX, PLT/HPGL-2, CGM, TIFF, CALS, PNG, JPEG, and WebP.

Handling DWG details locally

Opening a DWG reliably involves more than reading its geometry. Real-world drawings may depend on:

paper-space layouts and model space;
drawing units;
SHX fonts;
external DWG or DXF references;
plot-style information;
drawing extents that need recalculation.

ViewCompanion Premium provides settings for these situations, including unit selection, external font folders, external-reference search folders, layout handling, and drawing-extents recalculation.

These options are useful when drawings come from different organizations and do not all follow the same conventions.

PDF review without active JavaScript

PDF is sometimes treated as a completely passive format, although PDF documents can contain JavaScript and other interactive elements.

ViewCompanion does not execute JavaScript embedded in PDF files. This is not a substitute for endpoint security or document screening, but it removes one form of active PDF content that is unnecessary in a technical drawing review workflow.

Offline does not have to mean manual

Local processing can still be automated.

ViewCompanion Premium includes batch tools for processing multiple documents and command-line options for conversion and printing. Its Folder Monitor can watch selected folders and initiate conversion when new supported files arrive.

This makes it possible to build an internal workflow in which documents remain within the organization’s own Windows environment while routine conversions happen with less manual intervention.

For example, a team could receive drawings in a controlled input folder, convert them to PDF using predefined settings, and place the results in a separate output folder—all without submitting the source files to an external conversion website.

When an offline viewer is the better fit

A local DWG and PDF viewer is worth considering when:

drawings are confidential or customer-owned;
uploading files to third-party services is restricted;
work must continue without Internet access;
one application is needed for both current and legacy formats;
users need measurement, annotation, comparison, or conversion—not CAD authoring;
batch or command-line processing is part of the workflow.

Cloud services remain useful when browser access and easy external collaboration are the main priorities. Desktop software is often the better fit when control over file location and processing is more important.

Try the workflow with your own files

The best way to evaluate a technical viewer is to use real project files, especially DWG drawings with multiple layouts, external references, or non-standard fonts.

ViewCompanion Premium is available as a fully functional 30-day trial for Windows. You can learn more about its local-processing approach here:

Secure offline PDF and CAD viewer for Windows

The broader lesson is simple: convenient document processing does not always have to mean cloud processing. For DWG and PDF workflows involving sensitive technical information, a capable local application remains a practical option.

7 Checks to Make Before Sending Gerber Files to PCB Manufacturing

Terje Helgesen — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 15:27:14 +0000

Exporting a PCB design is not the same as verifying the manufacturing package.

Your board may look correct in the original design application, but the fabricator normally works from exported Gerber, drill and supporting files. A missing outline, displaced drill file or incorrect layer can therefore survive unnoticed until somebody inspects the actual deliverable.

The safest habit is simple:

Review the files you are going to send, not only the design from which they were generated.

This article presents seven practical checks you can incorporate into a PCB release workflow. They are useful whether you created the board, received the files from a customer or need to approve a manufacturing package without access to its original PCB design system.

1. Confirm that the manufacturing package is complete

Begin by extracting the package into a new review directory. Keep the original archive unchanged so that you can trace the reviewed files back to the exact delivery or release.

A typical bare-board package may include:

Top and bottom copper
One or more internal copper layers
Top and bottom solder mask
Top and bottom silkscreen, when used
Solder-paste layers when assembly or stencil data is required
A board outline or profile
Plated and non-plated drill files
Routing or slot data
Fabrication drawings and special instructions

Do not assume that filenames prove the package is complete. Extensions such as .GTL, .GBL, .GTS and .GKO are common conventions, but different PCB applications use different naming schemes. Some exporters give every layer the generic .GBR extension.

If you need help interpreting unfamiliar names, this Gerber file-extension reference explains the most common copper, mask, paste, silkscreen, outline and drill extensions.

Compare the package against both the intended layer stack and the manufacturer's submission requirements. A file can be valid Gerber data and still represent the wrong layer—or the wrong project.

2. Open all related layers together

Looking at individual files is useful, but it is not enough. Load the complete set into an independent PCB manufacturing-file viewer and display the layers in one workspace.

Combining the layers makes several problems immediately visible:

A file uses a different origin
A layer is unexpectedly empty or very small
Content lies far outside the board area
Drill holes are displaced from their pads
The outline belongs to another board or revision
A mechanical drawing has been mistaken for the production outline

Assign contrasting colors, change layer order and toggle visibility one file at a time. Transparency is especially useful when checking copper, mask and drill relationships.

Modern Gerber X2 data can contain attributes that identify a file's function and side. These attributes reduce ambiguity, but they do not remove the need to inspect the rendered content. For more background, see What Is the Gerber File Format?.

3. Verify the board outline and dimensions

The board outline should form a clear, closed representation of the intended finished profile. Display it with the copper and drill layers and look for:

Duplicate or overlapping contours
Open or broken segments
Unrelated construction geometry
Missing internal cutouts
Routing information on an unexpected layer
Copper or drill features outside the intended profile

Measure the overall width and height and compare them with the mechanical specification. Check important cutouts, mounting-hole positions and connector locations as well.

This is also a useful way to detect an incorrect unit interpretation. A board that should be 100 mm wide but appears at a dramatically different size is a warning to review the export units and coordinate format before proceeding.

4. Check drill-to-copper alignment

Gerber layers describe graphical PCB artwork, while hole information is commonly delivered in one or more Excellon drill files. Because these datasets may be exported separately, they must share compatible coordinates, units and origins.

Overlay the drill files with the copper layers and zoom into representative areas around:

Through-hole component pads
Vias
Mounting holes
Tooling holes
Plated slots
Non-plated mechanical features

The holes should be centered where expected. Check several areas across the board rather than inspecting only one corner; a scale or format error may become more apparent farther from the origin.

Review the available drill-tool diameters and make sure plated and non-plated data have not been omitted or confused. The Excellon drill-file guide provides a more detailed explanation of tool definitions, coordinates, units and zero suppression.

If a drill layer is displaced, do not assume the fabricator will infer the intended correction. Determine whether the cause is an export setting, a different origin, incorrect units or coordinate-format interpretation.

5. Inspect copper, solder mask and silkscreen relationships

Now review the production layers individually and in meaningful combinations.

Copper

Look for missing or obviously unexpected tracks, pads, flashes and copper areas. Query aperture information when an object has an unexpected shape or width.

Solder mask

Overlay mask and copper. Confirm that the intended pads are exposed and that the rendered openings align correctly. Remember that solder-mask output commonly describes the openings rather than the material that remains.

Silkscreen

Inspect reference designators, polarity marks and other printed objects near pads, holes and the board edge. Visual review does not replace the manufacturer's clearance rules, but it can reveal obviously misplaced or unexpected content.

Mechanical data

Make sure dimensions, notes or construction geometry have not accidentally been included on a production layer. Conversely, check that required routed slots and cutouts have not been left only in a drawing that the fabricator may treat as informational.

6. Measure critical features

Visual inspection can tell you that geometry appears plausible. Measurement helps confirm that it is correct.

Which dimensions matter depends on the board, but useful candidates include:

Overall board width and height
Mounting-hole spacing
Connector positions relative to board edges
Cutout dimensions
Board-edge clearances
Distances between selected pads or mechanical features
The size and position of test-fixture locations

Use snapping when available so measurements reference the actual pads, tracks or other geometry instead of approximate screen positions.

For ODB++ or compatible Gerber X3 datasets, additional component and net information may be available. This can help reviewers inspect designators, placement, rotations, pins and connectivity alongside the visible layers. See viewing PCB components and nets for an example of this richer inspection workflow.

7. Compare the release with the approved revision

For a revised board, checking that the new files look reasonable is only half the task. You should also confirm that the differences match the intended engineering change.

Compare corresponding layers from the new and previously approved releases. A graphical comparison can reveal:

Added or removed tracks
Moved or resized pads
Changed copper pours
Unexpected regeneration differences
Changes on layers that were supposed to remain untouched

Review both the visible changes and their absence. If the engineering change should have affected a particular layer but the comparison shows no difference, the wrong output may have been included.

GerbView can display added, removed and unchanged geometry using different colors. The Gerber comparison tutorial shows the basic workflow.

Warning signs that deserve investigation

Pause the release if you encounter any of the following:

A required layer is missing, empty or unexpectedly small
The outline appears more than once or does not enclose the board
Drill holes do not align with their copper pads
One layer uses a different origin, scale or unit interpretation
Visible content extends far outside the expected board area
Aperture or drill-tool information is missing or produces strange geometry
The revision comparison contains unexplained changes
A generic filename cannot be matched confidently to a layer function

An unusual display does not always mean that the data is wrong, but it should be understood before the package is approved.

Keep a record of the review

Once the package has passed inspection, archive the exact approved dataset with its revision identifier and any fabrication notes. A PDF or printed review document can also help communicate the layer set, dimensions or marked areas to colleagues who do not use PCB CAM software.

For confidential designs, consider whether the review tool should process files locally. An offline Gerber viewer avoids uploading the PCB data to a browser-based service, although workstation, network and storage security still remain your responsibility.

Where GerbView fits

GerbView is a Windows application for viewing, measuring, comparing, printing and converting PCB manufacturing files. It supports Gerber RS-274D and RS-274X, Gerber X2/X3 attributes, Excellon drill data and ODB++Design datasets.

It can load multiple files as layers, inspect apertures and drill tools, align layers that use different origins, measure geometry, compare Gerber revisions and create documentation in formats such as PDF and DXF.

If you want a broader introduction to the files exchanged between PCB design and production, read Understanding PCB Manufacturing File Formats.

Final thought

No visual checklist can prove that a board is electrically correct or manufacturable under a particular factory's rules. Independent file inspection should complement—not replace—electrical rule checks, automated DFM analysis and the manufacturer's own review.

It does, however, answer one essential question before fabrication begins:

Do the exported files actually contain what we intended to send?

That small verification step can prevent a surprisingly expensive mistake.

GerbView is developed by Software Companions. Product names and trademarks belong to their respective owners.

ViewCompanion Premium: An Alternative to Bluebeam, DWG TrueView and Bentley View

Terje Helgesen — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 15:21:06 +0000

Choosing a technical file viewer is not always a matter of finding the product with the longest feature list. A better question is:

Which application fits the files you receive and the work you actually need to do?

Bluebeam Revu, Autodesk DWG TrueView and Bentley View are well-known applications, but they are designed around different priorities:

Bluebeam Revu is primarily associated with PDF review, markup, takeoff and collaboration.
Autodesk DWG TrueView focuses on viewing, plotting and converting DWG files.
Bentley View is designed for viewing CAD and infrastructure information, particularly within Bentley-oriented workflows.

ViewCompanion Premium takes a broader technical-document approach. It combines viewing, printing, annotation, measurement and conversion for PDF, DWG, DWF, DXF, CGM, PLT, HPGL/2, TIFF, CALS and several other formats in one Windows desktop application.

It is not a universal replacement for every specialized feature in the three competing products. However, when an organization needs one practical application for reviewing and processing a mixture of PDF, CAD, plotter and image files, ViewCompanion Premium can be a simpler and more economical option.

Why consider ViewCompanion Premium?

One application for mixed technical files

Many companies do not work exclusively with PDF or DWG. A typical archive may contain current PDF documents, DWG drawings from a CAD department, older DWF and DXF files, HPGL/2 plot files, CGM illustrations and scanned TIFF or CALS drawings.

Using a separate viewer for every format can make a straightforward review task unnecessarily complicated. ViewCompanion Premium is useful when employees need to open, print, annotate, measure or convert several of these formats without installing a full CAD system.

A local Windows workflow

ViewCompanion Premium is a Windows desktop application that can process files locally. This can be important for organizations that handle confidential drawings, use isolated networks or simply prefer not to upload technical documents to an online service.

Command-line tools and folder monitoring can also automate recurring conversion and printing tasks.

ViewCompanion Premium vs. Bluebeam Revu

Bluebeam Revu is a powerful PDF solution widely used in architecture, engineering and construction. It is particularly strong in PDF markup, quantity takeoff and connected collaboration workflows.

ViewCompanion Premium may be a good Bluebeam alternative when the main requirement is broader technical-format support rather than an advanced PDF collaboration platform. In addition to PDF, it can open formats such as DWG, DWF, DXF, CGM, PLT, HPGL/2, TIFF and CALS.

It also offers annotation, measurement, PDF processing, batch conversion and batch printing. This makes it especially relevant for individuals and smaller teams that want practical review and conversion tools in a conventional desktop application.

Choose Bluebeam when: real-time cloud collaboration, Bluebeam Studio workflows or highly specialized construction takeoff features are central requirements.

Consider ViewCompanion Premium when: you need PDF tools alongside a much wider collection of CAD, plotter and raster formats.

ViewCompanion Premium vs. Autodesk DWG TrueView

Autodesk DWG TrueView is a natural choice for users who mainly need a free Autodesk application for opening, inspecting, plotting and converting DWG files.

ViewCompanion Premium becomes more attractive when DWG is only one part of the job. It combines DWG viewing with PDF, DWF, DXF, plotter-file and raster-document workflows. Users can also annotate, measure and convert supported documents without moving between several unrelated viewers.

Choose DWG TrueView when: the requirement is limited to free DWG viewing, plotting and Autodesk-specific DWG conversion.

Consider ViewCompanion Premium when: you need annotation, measurement, PDF processing, automation and support for more than DWG alone.

ViewCompanion Premium is a commercial product, so its value comes from its wider format coverage and additional tools—not from trying to compete with a free product on price.

ViewCompanion Premium vs. Bentley View

Bentley View is aimed at viewing CAD and infrastructure information, including formats and models associated with Bentley applications. It is a logical option for organizations working extensively with MicroStation and DGN-based projects.

ViewCompanion Premium may be the more practical choice when the actual requirement is to work with PDF, DWG, DWF, DXF, CGM, plotter files and scanned technical documents. Its annotation, measurement, conversion, batch-processing and PDF tools bring several everyday tasks together.

Choose Bentley View when: native DGN support, infrastructure-model inspection or Bentley-specific workflows are essential.

Consider ViewCompanion Premium when: your work centers on mixed 2D documents and drawings rather than native DGN files or complex infrastructure models.

Quick comparison

Product	Best suited to	Consider ViewCompanion Premium when...
Bluebeam Revu	Advanced PDF markup, construction takeoff and collaboration	You need PDF tools together with DWG, DWF, DXF, CGM, plotter and raster-format support
Autodesk DWG TrueView	Free DWG viewing, plotting and conversion	You need annotation, measurement, PDF processing, automation and more than DWG alone
Bentley View	Bentley, DGN and infrastructure-model viewing	Your work centers on mixed 2D document and drawing formats rather than native DGN or complex models
ViewCompanion Premium	Viewing, annotation, measurement, printing and conversion across mixed technical formats	You want one versatile Windows desktop tool for everyday technical-document workflows

Who is ViewCompanion Premium for?

ViewCompanion Premium is particularly well suited to:

Engineering and manufacturing companies receiving drawings from several CAD systems
Document-control teams maintaining a mixture of current and legacy technical files
Suppliers and subcontractors that need to review drawings without installing a full CAD package
Users who need both interactive viewing and repeatable batch conversion or printing
Organizations that prefer local Windows software for confidential or offline documents

The right alternative depends on your workflow

Bluebeam Revu, Autodesk DWG TrueView and Bentley View are capable products, and each can be the best solution for its intended workflow.

ViewCompanion Premium is worth considering when your needs cross the boundaries between those products—especially when you work with a varied collection of PDF, CAD, plotter and raster files.

Its main advantage is not that it tries to reproduce every specialized feature offered by three much larger product families. Its advantage is that it brings the technical-document functions many users need every day into one compact application:

Open, review, annotate, measure, print, convert and automate.

You can learn more about supported formats, features, pricing and download options on the ViewCompanion Premium product page.

Product names and trademarks belong to their respective owners. Product capabilities and licensing can change, so consult each vendor's current documentation when evaluating software for a specific workflow.